I have both picked on, and held in awe, our American fascination with sports in my last couple of sermons. Anyway, that got me thinking about our sports teams here in Washington right now. Maybe I'm just a homer, but with the Mariners out of the playoffs I have no interest in the Baseball playoffs. I won't watch the NBA (r.i.p. Sonics!). The Hawks have more supporters than they probably need already. I guess I'm just a college guy right now. I'm loving the Huskies football and basketball teams right now. Truth be told, since I went to PLU, I even like WSU (they're just a little harder to watch right now is all.) Funny how sports can engender passion and loyalty for no real reason other than your address is in the same state. But, still, Go huskies!
See you in church,
Pastor Bill
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
Snow!
So, my friend called from Omaha on Saturday morning to tell me that they had 5 inches of snow fall in Omaha that morning. And I laughed and thought, I'm glad I live here. And then, I just heard reports that we have snow on the passes here in Washington! I guess snowboarding season is coming early. Always a bright side.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
My favorite meeting
Well, this past weekend, after finishing up my morning church duties, I flew to Minneapolis for my favorite meeting of the year. It's where I am fortunate enough to be able to give away money, as scholarships, to help with the schooling for men and women who want to serve as Christian missionaries. Again, in brief, I get to give money to people who want to serve as Missionaries. How cool is that!
It's all done in honor of my Father-in-law and Mother-in-law, Maynard and Nancy Nelson. When Maynard passed away several years ago, a number of his friends and family wanted to honor his passion for evangelism and sharing the Gospel throughout the world. So, some great thinkers came up with this idea, to create an Endowment fund that would provide money for Scholarships for years to come. The fund was in place before Maynard passed away, so he was able to see what we had come up with, and was deeply touched. Nancy, who is still with us, also serves as part of the committee, and it's such a blessing that she can see the fruit of these efforts firsthand.
We seem to be in a lot of meetings in our world. Work, school, what have you, there seems to be no issue that a meeting can't be called to discuss it. But this meeting, it's my favorite every year.
We'll see you in church,
Pastor Bill
It's all done in honor of my Father-in-law and Mother-in-law, Maynard and Nancy Nelson. When Maynard passed away several years ago, a number of his friends and family wanted to honor his passion for evangelism and sharing the Gospel throughout the world. So, some great thinkers came up with this idea, to create an Endowment fund that would provide money for Scholarships for years to come. The fund was in place before Maynard passed away, so he was able to see what we had come up with, and was deeply touched. Nancy, who is still with us, also serves as part of the committee, and it's such a blessing that she can see the fruit of these efforts firsthand.
We seem to be in a lot of meetings in our world. Work, school, what have you, there seems to be no issue that a meeting can't be called to discuss it. But this meeting, it's my favorite every year.
We'll see you in church,
Pastor Bill
Monday, September 21, 2009
Sunday Weather
As it appears it's going to be another fabulous week, it reminded me of something we Pastors talk about with church: The perfect Sunday weather. You see, if it's too nice on Sunday morning, people wake up and decide not to come to church. The decide on a picnic, or a bike ride, or a BBQ instead. But, if they wake up and it's too cold, snowy, or rainy, then they also decide not to come to church. They just roll over in bed and worship at St. Mattress for the morning. So, perfect Sunday weather seems to be cool, but not cold. Cloudy, but not rainy (except over all the golf courses.) And, the Seahawks and the Sounders need to play the late game as well. :) Fortunately, in Washington state, we seem to have an abundance of this so-called perfect weather. Still, I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not!
We'll see you at church (depending on the weather of course!)
PB
We'll see you at church (depending on the weather of course!)
PB
Friday, September 18, 2009
When will the Blog return
What a great weekend this last week. Energy at church was high, lots of familiar faces (notice I didn't say old faces) and a lot of new ones as well. In Minnesota we would have called last week: 'Jesus comes back from the lake' weekend. Out in the midwest it seems everybody has a cabin, and so all Summer long people are off at the lake and don't seem to come to church much. We'll have to come up with a similar idea for us Western Washington types. Jesus climbs down the mountain? Jesus gets in out of the rain? Suggestions please.
Anyway, it was a great week. And we look forward to seeing you all again on Sunday!
Pastor Bill
Anyway, it was a great week. And we look forward to seeing you all again on Sunday!
Pastor Bill
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Sage's Surgery
Hi all,
Just a quick note. For those of you who have been following our adoption story, you know that our daughter Sage had an eye issue that required surgery. Well, today we did that, and she came through with flying colors. She was an incredible champ for the whole thing. The surgery took around one and a half hours, and the Doctor removed her right eye and replaced it with a new, fake one. It's pretty amazing when you think about it. I'm not a huge fan of hospitals, or detailing what happens in them, so that's about all you're going to get from me. If you want the whole story, you can talk to my wife :). But, the end result is that Sage is doing great, she's home, and she's well on the road to recovery. Thanks for all your prayers for this day. We'll see you soon.
Bill
Saturday, August 8, 2009
The Calm before the Storm
Hello again,
So, VBS is done! What a great success. What a wonderful time to tell kids about the love of Jesus. But, did I mention that it's done? We had a great time, really, and all the hard work from so many volunteers was really worth it. With that I'm taking a relaxing day before Sunday and then I get a nice two week vacation. We won't be going anywhere. Instead we'll actually have our daughter's eye surgery, and move into a new house on the agenda. Not much of a "vacation" but it will be good to get it all done. In the meantime, I might actually update the blog on my vacation, but not about work related stuff. Sorry, if you want to read my review on "District 9" or hear about my latest hernia from moving too many boxes, log on! And before all that, we'll see you on Sunday!
So, VBS is done! What a great success. What a wonderful time to tell kids about the love of Jesus. But, did I mention that it's done? We had a great time, really, and all the hard work from so many volunteers was really worth it. With that I'm taking a relaxing day before Sunday and then I get a nice two week vacation. We won't be going anywhere. Instead we'll actually have our daughter's eye surgery, and move into a new house on the agenda. Not much of a "vacation" but it will be good to get it all done. In the meantime, I might actually update the blog on my vacation, but not about work related stuff. Sorry, if you want to read my review on "District 9" or hear about my latest hernia from moving too many boxes, log on! And before all that, we'll see you on Sunday!
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
A Big Gap
So sorry I've been gone for so long! This has been a very busy summer. Much busier than normal in the church I would say. Still, I'm just making excuses. If any of you are still reading this, I apologize for being quite tardy in a new post. I thought I'd get a brief one out today. We're right in the middle of Vacation Bible Surf here at church and it's going very well. We have almost 120 kids! What a blessing. We had a great story come out of Bible Study yesterday. One of our leaders asked his small group of kids what they had learned about Jesus today. And the child responded that he knew, even with everything else he learned about Jesus, "He still dies at the end. I saw the movie." Out of the mouth of babes, right! Well, to put a theological spin on it, Thank God that Jesus dies on our behalf. And Thank God that He rises again! Have a great day.
Pastor Bill
Pastor Bill
Monday, July 6, 2009
Original Sin
So, on Sunday I alluded to a big idea: Original Sin. My C-minus explanation of that was that we are all sinners, so we all need God's forgiveness. But the idea of Original Sin has a lot of baggage, both good and bad, that people have struggled with. Original Sin gets wrapped up in to why many in the church feel we need to baptize infants very early on, because they "need" baptism for their sins if something should happen to them. I remember one Mom whose child was born far too early, and wasn't going to live more than a few days, asking me about Baptism for her daughter. She said, "I can't figure out what my child has done wrong, how she could have sinned at all. But I'd like you to baptize her just the same." It was a very real and heartbreaking question, and a few days after that baptism we did a heart wrenching memorial service for this little tiny gift of God.
On a different note, There were many who associated the idea of Original Sin with sex. The C-minus description to this goes something like: Since we are all born into sin, and since little children can't sin on their own, then it is sex itself which is sinful and thus we are all born out of a sinful act. Personally I think this says more about the Western civilizations problems with understanding appropriate sex as a gift from God, but this definitely played a big role in the churches view on sex for many years.
So, what's the real idea? What's Original Sin really all about? Well Martin Luther and many others wrote a lot about the idea and debated it quite heavily at the time of the Reformation. The general idea was that ever since Adam sinned, every single person born since has been born "corrupted" We are born sinners. This isn't to blame Adam for all our woes, because if any of us were given the same choice as He and Eve we'd do the same. And the real root of this sin, is that we are born without an inherent fear and love of God. We are born believing like Adam, that we can be God. That is our Original corrupted nature, no longer realising that we are God's handiwork first and foremost.
So, the point for the reformers is that, a 2 day old baby may not show off that attitude, or that nature, but he will. We are born that way, and it cannot be undone except by Christ alone. In fact, in all of the literature I read on Original Sin I'll admit the only thing that really stuck with me is that the whole point of recognizing we struggle with Original Sin is that it drives us to Jesus. By admitting we are sinners, totally and thoroughly, we also admit we need someone to love us and save us. We need Jesus. And that's something I'm happy to focus on.
So, I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on the whole Original Sin idea, but let's always couch it in a bigger picture. We may just be debating semantics. And that can be fun and worthwhile as long as we don't forget the bigger picture. We are all sinners. And we all need Jesus. Praise God that He came for all of us!
Pastor Bill
On a different note, There were many who associated the idea of Original Sin with sex. The C-minus description to this goes something like: Since we are all born into sin, and since little children can't sin on their own, then it is sex itself which is sinful and thus we are all born out of a sinful act. Personally I think this says more about the Western civilizations problems with understanding appropriate sex as a gift from God, but this definitely played a big role in the churches view on sex for many years.
So, what's the real idea? What's Original Sin really all about? Well Martin Luther and many others wrote a lot about the idea and debated it quite heavily at the time of the Reformation. The general idea was that ever since Adam sinned, every single person born since has been born "corrupted" We are born sinners. This isn't to blame Adam for all our woes, because if any of us were given the same choice as He and Eve we'd do the same. And the real root of this sin, is that we are born without an inherent fear and love of God. We are born believing like Adam, that we can be God. That is our Original corrupted nature, no longer realising that we are God's handiwork first and foremost.
So, the point for the reformers is that, a 2 day old baby may not show off that attitude, or that nature, but he will. We are born that way, and it cannot be undone except by Christ alone. In fact, in all of the literature I read on Original Sin I'll admit the only thing that really stuck with me is that the whole point of recognizing we struggle with Original Sin is that it drives us to Jesus. By admitting we are sinners, totally and thoroughly, we also admit we need someone to love us and save us. We need Jesus. And that's something I'm happy to focus on.
So, I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on the whole Original Sin idea, but let's always couch it in a bigger picture. We may just be debating semantics. And that can be fun and worthwhile as long as we don't forget the bigger picture. We are all sinners. And we all need Jesus. Praise God that He came for all of us!
Pastor Bill
Thursday, July 2, 2009
This Sunday
Not that this should be the deciding factor or anything, but church does have Air Conditioning! :) See you all on Sunday, eh?
Monday, June 29, 2009
The "Holy Spirit"
So, for those of you who weren't at the 10:30 service on Sunday, you missed the coolest thing ever. We had a real live bird in the Sanctuary. It wasn't planned, that way, but how can you argue with live animals, right? About 3 or 4 minutes into my sermon I saw a bird lift up into the air in the back of the Sanctuary. It was so surprising I stopped and said something (don't even know what) which caused much confusion for the congregation because they were all looking at me, and didn't see the bird at the back of the church. Until the bird flew to the front of the church and then everyone did a collective "ooh, aah.". It was a riot. Well, then the bird got obviously scared and went to the big windows on the west side of the sanctuary and smacked right into them. So, it turned around and flew right at the windows on the east side of the sanctuary and smacked into those. At this point the poor little bird was stunned and barely flapping it's wings. So, Trisha (Bird-Whisperer) came up to it, carefully picked the bird up and carried it to the side door and let it go. It was crazy. No one will remember my sermon from yesterday, but everyone will remember that bird. What a Sunday. Bet you can't wait to see what happens next week!
Pastor Bill
Pastor Bill
Thursday, June 25, 2009
DC/LA
Today is the day that our Youth Group kids start the conference in LA. They've been down, enjoying the sun, having some fun, but now the real fun begins. Send a prayer their way would ya?
Monday, June 22, 2009
Ephesians
So, if you were in church this last weekend you heard me introduce our book of the Summer: Ephesians. And, you heard me make the case that I believe Paul is the actual author of Ephesians, an opinion not held by all Christian scholars. So, what's the deal?
First, let me say that those who doubt the authorship of Ephesians and other letters attributed to Paul in the New Testament are still usually Christian. It is possible to disagree on this, and other issues regarding the Bible, and still see each other as Christian. Sometimes the views are too divergent, but simple authorship over books I don't feel is one of them. After all, God is the author of it all, so the earthly author doesn't matter quite as much.
However, with all of that said, I do think Paul is the author. Why is the question even raised? For some good reasons actually. Many early manuscripts we have of this letter don't even include the words "in Ephesus" in verse 1 of chapter 1. This actually plays to my belief that this was a circuit letter, meant to be read by various churches. But wait, there's more.
The big reason people doubt this letter (and a few others) to be actual Paul is in the differences. When you compare the phrases, and even the Greek language, used in Ephesians with that in Romans, or 1 Corinthians, or Philippians (books just about everybody agrees were written by Paul) there are subtle differences. Paul emphasizes words or phrases in some letters that he doesn't emphasize in Ephesians. And then, again, there is the lack of personal references in Ephesians, which can seem unusual for a place he spent so much time in.
So, what do you think? I've got some ideas, but I'd thought I'd start with all of you. Got any opinions on Ephesians, and why it may sound a little different from other letters? Does it matter to you if Paul is the actual author, or rather it was a Christian Disciple influenced by Paul who wrote this many years later? The floor is yours.
Pastor Bill
First, let me say that those who doubt the authorship of Ephesians and other letters attributed to Paul in the New Testament are still usually Christian. It is possible to disagree on this, and other issues regarding the Bible, and still see each other as Christian. Sometimes the views are too divergent, but simple authorship over books I don't feel is one of them. After all, God is the author of it all, so the earthly author doesn't matter quite as much.
However, with all of that said, I do think Paul is the author. Why is the question even raised? For some good reasons actually. Many early manuscripts we have of this letter don't even include the words "in Ephesus" in verse 1 of chapter 1. This actually plays to my belief that this was a circuit letter, meant to be read by various churches. But wait, there's more.
The big reason people doubt this letter (and a few others) to be actual Paul is in the differences. When you compare the phrases, and even the Greek language, used in Ephesians with that in Romans, or 1 Corinthians, or Philippians (books just about everybody agrees were written by Paul) there are subtle differences. Paul emphasizes words or phrases in some letters that he doesn't emphasize in Ephesians. And then, again, there is the lack of personal references in Ephesians, which can seem unusual for a place he spent so much time in.
So, what do you think? I've got some ideas, but I'd thought I'd start with all of you. Got any opinions on Ephesians, and why it may sound a little different from other letters? Does it matter to you if Paul is the actual author, or rather it was a Christian Disciple influenced by Paul who wrote this many years later? The floor is yours.
Pastor Bill
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Extra Prayers
So, this has been on my mind a fair amount lately. School's almost out. Yeah! But then again, yikes! See, the thing about kids home all summer is that the prayer level needs to ratchet up a few notches. Parents, especially stay-at-home moms, need a lot more prayers for patience and peace. Kids need a lot of prayers for protection. And, my biggest concern is often our 11-15 year old crowd. That's a tough time to have a lot of time on your hands. You're too old to just be a kid, but you're not old enough to have a job and a license. So, you end up with lots of opportunity and potential to do dumb and dangerous things. Yeah, I'm speaking from experience here. so, if you get a chance today, so a few extra prayers as the kids start coming home. We could all use it :)
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
A tale of two Funerals
Sorry it's been awhile since I've posted anything. It's been kind of a tough week for a variety of reasons. Two of those reasons are that I had the honor of participating in a funeral last Wednesday, as well as one again today. Last week I officiated at a funeral for a wonderful, dear lady that I had got to know in my role as Pastor for the last few years. She was over 90 years old, had a wonderful family, and believed strongly in Jesus. I think most of us wouldn't mind going out that way.
Today I had the chance to speak at the funeral of a good friend of mine, Jerry. Jerry was just over 40 and is survived by his wonderful bride and 3 amazing, young kids. And Jerry also believed strongly in Jesus.
Being a Pastor I've helped in a lot of funerals, and it is always a humbling honor to do so. But the one for Jerry today was pretty hard. I was his pastor for a long time, but really I was more his friend. And his is the kind of story where it's easy to get mad at God at how unfair life can be sometimes.
But Jerry just wouldn't allow that. Jerry loved Jesus too much. His concern wasn't on squeezing out a few more years here, because he knew that he has and eternity with Jesus in heaven. And although he has to wait for his wife and kids to join him, it will be in the blink of an eye before they're all reunited as a family. They trust and hope in that promise, and so do I. It's what allowed Jerry to live his life to the full, even though it wasn't nearly long enough (in my opinion).
So, today I am reminded that our lives in this place are varied, and wonderful, and they are hard and difficult. There is joy and there is sorrow. But whatever comes, however many years we have, we are reminded that this world is not our home. My two friends Lilllian and Jerry are two of the newest residents of our true home that awaits us in heaven. I'm sure they're having a wonderful time already. And I too will have to wait patiently until I get to see them both again. But I will praise Jesus for that promise offered to me, and to you.
Pastor Bill
Today I had the chance to speak at the funeral of a good friend of mine, Jerry. Jerry was just over 40 and is survived by his wonderful bride and 3 amazing, young kids. And Jerry also believed strongly in Jesus.
Being a Pastor I've helped in a lot of funerals, and it is always a humbling honor to do so. But the one for Jerry today was pretty hard. I was his pastor for a long time, but really I was more his friend. And his is the kind of story where it's easy to get mad at God at how unfair life can be sometimes.
But Jerry just wouldn't allow that. Jerry loved Jesus too much. His concern wasn't on squeezing out a few more years here, because he knew that he has and eternity with Jesus in heaven. And although he has to wait for his wife and kids to join him, it will be in the blink of an eye before they're all reunited as a family. They trust and hope in that promise, and so do I. It's what allowed Jerry to live his life to the full, even though it wasn't nearly long enough (in my opinion).
So, today I am reminded that our lives in this place are varied, and wonderful, and they are hard and difficult. There is joy and there is sorrow. But whatever comes, however many years we have, we are reminded that this world is not our home. My two friends Lilllian and Jerry are two of the newest residents of our true home that awaits us in heaven. I'm sure they're having a wonderful time already. And I too will have to wait patiently until I get to see them both again. But I will praise Jesus for that promise offered to me, and to you.
Pastor Bill
Friday, May 29, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
They're more like guidelines really
Who can name that movie?
Anyway, coming out of the sermon this last week, I wanted to get you thinking about the rules, guidelines, commandments, laws (whatever you want to call them) we find in the Bible. As I mentioned, there are over 600 laws in the Old Testament alone. What are we, as Christians 2000 years later, supposed to think about that?
Well, a couple of things to get you started in the process. One, there are a number of laws that can no longer be physically followed. Things like worship at the temple in Jerusalem. The temple was destroyed in 70 a.d., it doesn't exist, so many laws regarding that can't be done. This is just one example, but many laws really "can't" be done in our day to day, so that's a challenge.
Also, there are two particular parts of the New Testament story that should affect our thinking on the OT laws. One, is where Christ says Himself: I did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. (Matthew 5:17). The implication of this is that Jesus sees the law of God as good, not something to be done away with. Also, much of the laws, particularly in terms of sacrifices for sin, are fulfilled in Jesus' death and resurrection. Because of His death, no other sacrifice (in that way) is ever needed. This is Good News in so many senses of the word.
However, even removing the laws on sacrifice and the "physically-unable-to-perform" laws from the books, there are others. What to do with those? Do we follow them, or throw them out?
There are many Christians who look to a story in Acts as their guide on this. In Acts 15 you see one of the first Church councils dealing with one of the first church conflicts. There are new believers to the faith, and they aren't circumcised. And, oddly enough, they don't really want to get circumcised. So, by disobeying this direct rule from God, are they ultimately part of the believers or not?
After much discussion and prayer it is decided that all believers are saved by Grace, not by what we do. However, they ask the new believers to follow the long held rules on staying away from other gods, and to follow the rules concerning sexuality. So, based on that interpretation, those OT rules in regards to false gods, and the boundaries of sexuality should be maintained for Non-Jewish believers.
Apart from that it should be noted that anything Jesus' commands or speaks to directly, we as Christians consider as valid, true, and a guide on the way life should be lived.
So, don't know if that stirs more questions, or clears everything up. But I hope it gets you thinking just the same. I'm off to the Isle of Tortuga. Catch you on the flip-flop.
Bill
Anyway, coming out of the sermon this last week, I wanted to get you thinking about the rules, guidelines, commandments, laws (whatever you want to call them) we find in the Bible. As I mentioned, there are over 600 laws in the Old Testament alone. What are we, as Christians 2000 years later, supposed to think about that?
Well, a couple of things to get you started in the process. One, there are a number of laws that can no longer be physically followed. Things like worship at the temple in Jerusalem. The temple was destroyed in 70 a.d., it doesn't exist, so many laws regarding that can't be done. This is just one example, but many laws really "can't" be done in our day to day, so that's a challenge.
Also, there are two particular parts of the New Testament story that should affect our thinking on the OT laws. One, is where Christ says Himself: I did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. (Matthew 5:17). The implication of this is that Jesus sees the law of God as good, not something to be done away with. Also, much of the laws, particularly in terms of sacrifices for sin, are fulfilled in Jesus' death and resurrection. Because of His death, no other sacrifice (in that way) is ever needed. This is Good News in so many senses of the word.
However, even removing the laws on sacrifice and the "physically-unable-to-perform" laws from the books, there are others. What to do with those? Do we follow them, or throw them out?
There are many Christians who look to a story in Acts as their guide on this. In Acts 15 you see one of the first Church councils dealing with one of the first church conflicts. There are new believers to the faith, and they aren't circumcised. And, oddly enough, they don't really want to get circumcised. So, by disobeying this direct rule from God, are they ultimately part of the believers or not?
After much discussion and prayer it is decided that all believers are saved by Grace, not by what we do. However, they ask the new believers to follow the long held rules on staying away from other gods, and to follow the rules concerning sexuality. So, based on that interpretation, those OT rules in regards to false gods, and the boundaries of sexuality should be maintained for Non-Jewish believers.
Apart from that it should be noted that anything Jesus' commands or speaks to directly, we as Christians consider as valid, true, and a guide on the way life should be lived.
So, don't know if that stirs more questions, or clears everything up. But I hope it gets you thinking just the same. I'm off to the Isle of Tortuga. Catch you on the flip-flop.
Bill
Friday, May 22, 2009
BBQ
Don't forget, if you're around this weekend, to come to church! Just cause it's a holiday weekend, don't think everything is closed. We're still gathering in worship. What a great place to be, any day really. Also, come hungry, since we'll be trying our BBQ after both services. I'm looking forward to it, and looking forward to seeing all of you there.
Bill
Bill
Monday, May 18, 2009
Keeping the Sabbath
Hi there,
If you heard my sermon yesterday, you know I picked a little bit on the Pharisees, in particular their trying to maintain the Sabbath. I didn't have enough time to fully explore that idea yesterday, so I wanted to flesh out a few things here for those that are interested.
The keeping of the Sabbath is an idea most of us have some knowledge of, even if we don't know how to do it exactly. It starts in Genesis 2 where God sets aside the last day of Creation for rest. And, as God does, so are we asked to do. One day a week we shouldn't "work", we should rest and rejoice in the wonder of God's creation. This idea continues in the 10 Commandments, Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5. But, like I said yesterday, what did that mean? You see a few times in Scripture some definition of what we should or should not do on our day of rest. For instance, Nehemiah 13 is where we get justification for most of the "blue laws" that say you cannot buy or sell anything on the Sabbath day.
But, for the Pharisees it wasn't enough. Scripture says we shouldn't carry a heavy burden on the Sabbath, but it didn't say how much that burden could be. So, they actually tried to determine how much weight you could carry before you were working. It might seem crazy to us, but I think their heart was in the right place. Anyway, all of this leads up to our story.
Jesus heals a man on the Sabbath, and the Pharisees are so enraged they plot to kill Jesus. Why? And why does Jesus say you could rescue an animal from a well on the Sabbath? Why not heal a man?
The answer is found in this question: Was it necessary? The Pharisees did believe that in case of an emergency you should save someone's life on the Sabbath, even if that required "work". Apparently this even applied to livestock. They said better to profane one Sabbath, and allow countless more to be celebrated. But what Jesus did was different.
He willfully flaunted His work on the Sabbath when it wasn't "necessary." Jesus could have performed His miracle on the following day. The man had been suffering for so long, but he wasn't dying. So, there was no need to heal him on the Sabbath day. It wasn't necessary, in their opinion. Jesus' disregard for their careful logic clearly drove them over the edge as their reaction shows. But it also shows what Jesus was about.
From a logical persepctive, the Pharisees were right. This man didn't "need" his hand healed that day. It could have waited. But that's not Jesus' perspective. He had a chance to change a man's life forever. His life, not just his hand but his whole life, was able to be restored by one word from Jesus. And that new life was not going to wait. Not another day, not another hour. It was going to start immediately. And whatever barrier might have been in place to prevent it was of no consequence to Jesus. New life was coming to another child of God. Who would ever want to wait for that to happen?!
So, there you have it. A bit more than what we did yesterday. Hope it helps, or at least provides a few more answers for you. And maybe even some questions as well.
Enjoy the Sun, and the Son :)
Bill
If you heard my sermon yesterday, you know I picked a little bit on the Pharisees, in particular their trying to maintain the Sabbath. I didn't have enough time to fully explore that idea yesterday, so I wanted to flesh out a few things here for those that are interested.
The keeping of the Sabbath is an idea most of us have some knowledge of, even if we don't know how to do it exactly. It starts in Genesis 2 where God sets aside the last day of Creation for rest. And, as God does, so are we asked to do. One day a week we shouldn't "work", we should rest and rejoice in the wonder of God's creation. This idea continues in the 10 Commandments, Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5. But, like I said yesterday, what did that mean? You see a few times in Scripture some definition of what we should or should not do on our day of rest. For instance, Nehemiah 13 is where we get justification for most of the "blue laws" that say you cannot buy or sell anything on the Sabbath day.
But, for the Pharisees it wasn't enough. Scripture says we shouldn't carry a heavy burden on the Sabbath, but it didn't say how much that burden could be. So, they actually tried to determine how much weight you could carry before you were working. It might seem crazy to us, but I think their heart was in the right place. Anyway, all of this leads up to our story.
Jesus heals a man on the Sabbath, and the Pharisees are so enraged they plot to kill Jesus. Why? And why does Jesus say you could rescue an animal from a well on the Sabbath? Why not heal a man?
The answer is found in this question: Was it necessary? The Pharisees did believe that in case of an emergency you should save someone's life on the Sabbath, even if that required "work". Apparently this even applied to livestock. They said better to profane one Sabbath, and allow countless more to be celebrated. But what Jesus did was different.
He willfully flaunted His work on the Sabbath when it wasn't "necessary." Jesus could have performed His miracle on the following day. The man had been suffering for so long, but he wasn't dying. So, there was no need to heal him on the Sabbath day. It wasn't necessary, in their opinion. Jesus' disregard for their careful logic clearly drove them over the edge as their reaction shows. But it also shows what Jesus was about.
From a logical persepctive, the Pharisees were right. This man didn't "need" his hand healed that day. It could have waited. But that's not Jesus' perspective. He had a chance to change a man's life forever. His life, not just his hand but his whole life, was able to be restored by one word from Jesus. And that new life was not going to wait. Not another day, not another hour. It was going to start immediately. And whatever barrier might have been in place to prevent it was of no consequence to Jesus. New life was coming to another child of God. Who would ever want to wait for that to happen?!
So, there you have it. A bit more than what we did yesterday. Hope it helps, or at least provides a few more answers for you. And maybe even some questions as well.
Enjoy the Sun, and the Son :)
Bill
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Adoption update
So, for those of you who haven't had a chance to see it yet, my wife keeps a spectacular blog about our family, and more specifically our journey through adoption. She had a very special post yesterday and I wanted to link that here for those of you who want to check it out.
http://becomingwalles6.blogspot.com/
Have a great day!
http://becomingwalles6.blogspot.com/
Have a great day!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
The story of Job
In our Wednesday morning Bible Study we've been looking at Job for the last several weeks, and it's such a great story to read again. For those of you who haven't spent much time there, Job is probably the main story in the Bible that deals with the question: Why does God allow suffering? Or even better: Why do bad things happen to good people? If you've ever had that question yourself, and I think all of us have, Job gives some interesting answers. Actually, Job doesn't, God Himself does in the final 4 chapters. Now, they aren't necessarily the answers we're looking for, but they are His answers so you know they're good. It's a similar idea to what the book, The Shack, tries to do with some success as well. It's a pretty universal struggle, and it's one of those things that keeps a lot of people we all know at arm's length from God's love and forgiveness. I'm not going to try and paraphrase God's own words, but the next time you ask one of those questions, consider my friend Job. And perhaps read the last couple of chapters for yourself.
If you've got any specific questions that come from this idea I'd be happy to try and answer them in the comments section. Hope you're all having a great day!
If you've got any specific questions that come from this idea I'd be happy to try and answer them in the comments section. Hope you're all having a great day!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Happy Limerick Day
Well, I don't know if it was the promise of the 8X10 glossy, or my witty repartee, but either way we've got at least double digits checking in with the blog right now. Thanks for coming on board. Although, I have to say I didn't necessarily think this through. For instance, one of my best friends from High School is now reading this, so I'm wondering if I can block him from posting any comments :). Also, some of the guys who have gone with me to Whistler are on here, which can't bode well either. But my favorite has to be Matt who is on here but apparently in RSS mode. Matt sends out Tweets of what he's doing at work and it's honestly like he's speaking in tongues. Now, I think we need more of that in church (remember, if it's in the Bible it's Lutheran) but Matt definitely needs a translator. His computer speak is well beyond me. So, instead of asking him what RSS mode is I've come up with my own ideas. Retired Secret Service. or maybe, Randomly Sized Sausages. Either way, Matt I'm glad you're here.
Not much more to add than that, so far. But as the title of this post suggests, it's National Limerick Day. So, feel free to post a comment in classical Limerick format if you'd like.
Monday, May 11, 2009
A Day Off
So, for those of you at church yesterday, you know I had something of a day off. Several months ago, I really felt God nudging me that it would be nice to have an actual Mom give the sermon on Mother's Day. I don't know if anyone else thinks that's a big deal or not, but it seemed like a good idea to me. So, Dana seemed like the right person to ask, and I'd said she did a spectacular job when all was said and done. On a somewhat related note, the timing might have felt a bit funny, since I had just taken several weeks "off" for our trip to China. But, I'm still really glad Dana was our preacher yesterday. She provided an insight into scripture that was very interesting. And on a day when we celebrate the strength and gifts of Moms, it was wonderful to see a Mom share some gifts she probably doesn't get to pull out too often in her daily life. Besides, you guys hear me enough the rest of the year, don't ya? It was a good day.
After that, I tried to give Sarah the day off by cooking and stuff at home. It all turned out okay, but there was a moment when I was trying to set the table, grill the burgers, and heat up the French Fries, and I thought my head was going to explode. I don't know how ya'll (meaning the ladies in the group) do it. I'm glad I only have to cook once a year.
Right, honey?
After that, I tried to give Sarah the day off by cooking and stuff at home. It all turned out okay, but there was a moment when I was trying to set the table, grill the burgers, and heat up the French Fries, and I thought my head was going to explode. I don't know how ya'll (meaning the ladies in the group) do it. I'm glad I only have to cook once a year.
Right, honey?
Thursday, May 7, 2009
So, I'm still reflecting on what a great Sunday we had this last week. I love Connfirmation. I love the youth getting a chance to really take ownership of their faith. And I love what a tight-knit class we had this year. They were all a lot of fun. I don't keep in contact with many of the friends who were in my Confirmation class, but I still think of them as some of the best friends I've ever had. I hope you had that same experience. I hope you didn't wear the same glasses I wore to my Confirmation, however. Sally Jessie Raphael had nothing on me. Oh well. To have lived through the 80's is an accomplishment in and of itself. Here's a much better picture, of a much better looking group of young people (and one slightly older guy.)
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Greetings and Salutations
Hi all,
So, I've decided to join the blogosphere. I admit it's with a little fear and trepidation as there seem to be a fair number of really great blogs already out there (my wife's being one of them) and way too many lame ones. I really don't want to be in the second category. But I thought this might be a great way of keeping up with a lot of you, particularly over the summer months when we seem to scatter to the four winds. Some times I'll write about Church stuff. Sometimes it may be more personal thoughts. Sometimes it'll just be a random movie review. But I hope that it's always at least a little bit entertaining. And in all of it, I hope we model the kind of conversation and life that points towards the Savior of the world. Jesus is such an amazing guy. He's absolutely changed my life. If you haven't really had the chance to get to know Him yourself, I truly hope and pray that you do. And that this little blog might encourage you in that journey as well.
Btw, do you know which Movie influenced this Blog Title? Bonus points if fyou can name the two lead actors.
So, I've decided to join the blogosphere. I admit it's with a little fear and trepidation as there seem to be a fair number of really great blogs already out there (my wife's being one of them) and way too many lame ones. I really don't want to be in the second category. But I thought this might be a great way of keeping up with a lot of you, particularly over the summer months when we seem to scatter to the four winds. Some times I'll write about Church stuff. Sometimes it may be more personal thoughts. Sometimes it'll just be a random movie review. But I hope that it's always at least a little bit entertaining. And in all of it, I hope we model the kind of conversation and life that points towards the Savior of the world. Jesus is such an amazing guy. He's absolutely changed my life. If you haven't really had the chance to get to know Him yourself, I truly hope and pray that you do. And that this little blog might encourage you in that journey as well.
Btw, do you know which Movie influenced this Blog Title? Bonus points if fyou can name the two lead actors.
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